WWE, 2005 Things had not been going well for Kurt Angle ever since 2004. After losing to Eddie Guerrero in a title match that WWE will forever treat as if it were the main event of Wrestlemania XX, Angle was named Smackdown GM and almost immediately was thrown off a balcony by the Big Show. Then, when the Big Show Continue Reading...

WWE, 2004 The story of this week’s induction begins with the 2004 WWE Draft, which somehow saw Smackdown General Manager Paul Heyman drafted to Raw and then promptly quit. Kurt Angle was then selected to fill the always-fresh, never-clichéd role of heel authority figure. Kurt’s first order of business was nixing Triple H’s move to Smackdown just 24 real-world hours Continue Reading...

WWF, 1991 (duh) by Emerson Witner A few months ago my brother texted me and wondered when I was going to induct Survivor Series 1991. At first I explained that a.) It’s not my site and b.) Survivor Series 1991 wasn’t that bad. He replied back that RD never writes anymore inductions (note from RD: more to come once I Continue Reading...

For parts one and two of this induction, click here and here. Since the summer of 2004, Amy Dumas’s “Lita” character had been tormented on WWE television with coercive sexual contracts, pregnancy, and a miscarriage. It would seem only natural that when she finally broke off her forced marriage to her own rapist, it would be a cause for celebration Continue Reading...

It began as an offhand challenge. Internet wrestling institution Scott Keith posted an old review of WCW SuperBrawl VIII on his BLOG OF DOOM, and inserted passages of hindsight to his long-ago written word. As the review was written in February 2000, 2 years after the airing of this SuperBrawl, Keith drops some 2000-related notes in the original rant, and Continue Reading...

Color us here at WrestleCrap surprised. When Fandango’s vignettes began playing, ol’ RD was about to engrave the cha-cha dancer’s name onto the 2013 Gooker Award plaque well in advance. I myself have tallied many Power Crappings ballots that featured Johnny Curtis’ alter ego among the selections. It seemed Fandango was destined for induction from the minute his, “Mind if Continue Reading...

WrestleMania XX, 2004 Text by Triple Kelly with RD Reynolds It’s that time of year again, fellow ‘Crappers. Yes, March Madness is upon us. A time of NCAA men’s and women’s basketball brackets AND the good ol’ Wrestlemania weekend. I always thought it’d be fun to get together with your buddies for a weekend and watch some old Wrestlemanias to get in the Continue Reading...

WWF, Early 90’s Hey, did you hear? WWE is coming out with yet another collection of entrance themes. WWE: The Music Volume 853 will feature the theme music of Randy Orton, John Cena, and a bunch of scrubs who will no doubt be let go by the time the disc makes to Best Buy shelves. But even as horribly generic Continue Reading...

A guest post written by Art0Donnell’s cousin, KofiJ0hnson WWF, 1994 Wrestlemania is supposed to be the biggest and best event of the year in the world of wrestling, but what happens when Vince McMahon runs out of exciting ideas and instead decides to build title matches around household items? The answer: the ladder match. Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels had Continue Reading...

Many people who aren’t wrestling fans are incapable of seeing the appeal of watching people pretend to beat each other up. This has always baffled me, since most all television, even so-called “reality” TV, is scripted. Anyone who has ever enjoyed fiction in any genre or medium knows the advantages of scripted entertainment and storytelling. When the action is written Continue Reading...

WWF, 1991 WrestleMania. Just five syllables, yet a lifetime of memories if you are a wrestling fan. So many awesome matches, so many unforgettable moments. Who will ever forget Hogan slamming Andre? Or Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart? Or the tearful reunion of Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth? As funny as it may sound, none of those are the WrestleMania Continue Reading...

WWF, Wrestlemania XII t seems that a week never goes by in which I don’t rag on Triple H. Facts are facts: I just flatout don’t like the guy. Call me biased, I really don’t care. I just find him dull to the extreme, and unworthy of the insane push he inevitably gets. I will say this, however: I completely Continue Reading...

WWF, 2005 Maybe it’s just me, but I thought this past weekend’s showdown between the Big Show and Floyd “Money” Mayweather was just about perfect. Sure, you could argue from a smarkish point of view that WWE allowing one of their biggest (literally and figuratively) stars to be KO’d by a welterweight boxer, but come on – that was a Continue Reading...

WWF, 1986 Following the tremendous success of the first WrestleMania, it was only natural that the WWF would decide to make the spectacle an annual event. After all, it was their own version of the World Series, a Superbowl of wrestling that featured not only the biggest stars on the grappling scene, but celebrities galore. So it came as little Continue Reading...

WWF, 2001 I’ve covered in the past what a disaster the InVasion storyline was, not only on this site (as the “lost” 2001 Gooker Award winner) but in depth as the epilogue in The Death of WCW. Every single thing the WWF could have done wrong with that storyline…they did. And the saddest part is that it wasn’t even bad Continue Reading...

In 2006, TNA felt the need to further live up to its reputation as the masters of pointless innovation. See, TNA was staging a “Fight for the Right” tournament, named after the Beastie Boys song, with the prize being a shot at the NWA title. While Dale Oliver had composed one of his famous and highly p(lagia)rized themes, TNA still Continue Reading...

WWF, 1986 Text by Triple Kelly Do you recognize the man pictured above? No? Well, then let me fill you in. His name is Paul Christy. He was a journeyman wrestler who worked lots of different places, for everyone from Dick the Bruiser to Randy Savage. While I am not quite sure what type of persona he had back in the Continue Reading...

WWE, 2008 Text by Triple Kelly with RD Reynolds Another month, another holiday behind us. The day of bloodsuckers, mindless zombies and flesh-eating ghouls. Halloween? No, silly – I’m talking about ELECTION DAY! And to commemorate this year’s Election Day, we’re going back to take a look at yet another former Gooker Nominee. I know we get a lot of International ‘Crappers that Continue Reading...

Brian “Crush” Adams was nowhere to be found in the world of sports entertainment for the year and a half between Royal Rumble 1995 and his return under a “convict” gimmick in 1996. While most assume that Crush was home in his native Hawaii during this time, video evidence proves that he was, in fact, in Toronto, Canada. Also, he Continue Reading...

WWE, 2006 Text by RD Reynolds and Triple Kelly As I sit down to write this induction, a look at the calendar shows that the date is, in fact, April 1, 2010. A decade down the drain, indeed. Yes, this induction will mark the be the first of our double digit years. Since the launch back on April 1, 2000, the inductions have Continue Reading...

WWF Cookbook, 2000 Although I’ve done it in countless interviews, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Mick Foley for opening the door for wannabe wrestling authors such as myself. You see, prior to Foley’s groundbreaking autobiography, Have a Nice Day, publishers believed that wrestling fans could not read. Trying to get a deal for a wrestling book Continue Reading...

It’s a travesty. It’s a travesty of the highest magnitude, and, I believe it is fair to say, without hyperbole, a crime against mankind itself. Here we are, 15 years removed from the release of the first movie featuring Hulk Hogan in a starring role, and where, I ask, is the anniversary DVD release? (Note from 2013 RD: It’s right Continue Reading...

WWE, 2005 Text by Sean Carless Did you know that a huge part of WWE’s, and in particular, Smackdown’s success over the past few years has been due to the hispanic audience they’ve been able to capture. (Observer stat.) This is primarily due to the popularity of Rey Mysterio, of course, so it only made sense the company would attempt Continue Reading...

The 2008 election between Barack Obama and John McCain was literally the most important U.S. Presidential election in nearly four years. While Barack Obama won the vote, the campaign saw a new breakout political star by the name of Sarah Palin, who either nearly won or cost the election for McCain, depending on whom you ask. The Alaska governor, who Continue Reading...

IWF Video, 1989 Tape submitted by Mike Siraco As you’ve probably surmised, here at WrestleCrap HQ, we have a rather substantial tape collection. There’s probably over 600 or so VHS (and believe it or not, probably 60+ Betas!) cassettes cluttering up the office, spilling out of shelving units, closets, boxes, and whatever other type of storage contraption I can find. Continue Reading...

With the Monday Night Wars heating up in 1996, WWF was forced to abandon a staple of its flagship program: the squash match. No more on Monday Night Raw would the likes of Reno Riggins, Kenny Kendall, and Mike Bell be trotted out for a quick paycheck and a trouncing by WWF superstars. From then on, every match would feature Continue Reading...

WWF, 1992 Text by Harry Simon It has been said that “clothes make the man.” But what about the man who makes the clothes that makes the man? What’s his story? Well, in the WWF’s case, he was a nervous little fella who talked like an unholy cross between Professor Frink from The Simpsons and every neurotic middle-aged guy in every Woody Allen Continue Reading...

WWF, Early 1990’s Text by Blade Braxton As RD and myself have been recently chatting about and reviewing all the old material that comprises the new Wrestlecrap DVD-Rom, one thing stood out – the year 1990. It could be said that 1990 was the year Wrestlecrap was born. In the first 365 days of the decade of the 90’s, fans would witness Continue Reading...

WWF, 1995-1996 The tough part about being a new member of the Wrestlecrap crew is coming up with ideas for inductions that haven’t been done already. When I look back at the Wrestlecrap treasure trove that was the WWF in the mid-90s, it’s frustrating to know that all the atrocious gimmicks had already been written up on this site over Continue Reading...

Hi guys and gals, RD here. Just wanted to clear up the confusion on classic inductions on the site. In the old days, when one was posted, it would stay up for a week then be replaced. NOW when we post them, they will remain up from that point onward into the future. They will NOT be taken down; once Continue Reading...